To request a free take-home testing kit, patients need to stop by their physician's office. Easy-to-follow instructions are included with each kit. Once the test is completed, patients should return the kit to their physician's office. Results will be sent to each patient's personal physician. If follow-up care is needed, the patient will be notified by his/her physician's office.

The American Cancer Society recommends that men and women age 50-and-over complete a fecal-occult test every year. The test checks for hidden blood in person's stool, which may sometimes be an early symptom of colon cancer. When detected in its early stages, colon cancer can often be effectively treated. Many colon cancer deaths could be prevented through effective screenings - which include fecal-occult tests and colonoscopy procedures. King's Daughters' Hospital encourages everyone to talk to their physician about appropriate cancer screenings.

Colon cancer screening kits will be available from March 2 through March 31. To learn more about colon cancer prevention, visit the online KDH Health Library.